EXPLORE
5
DESIGN CRITERIA
Now that you have carried out a variety of different investigations relevant to your brief you will be ready to collate an initial list of design criteria together so that you have enough information and context to start the design process. This is only your initial list and as the project develops you will add to and refine this list. It is work in progress and you will be referring to this list throughout the rest of your project.
'The Design Criteria' is also referred to a 'master list of technical requirements' but this can get easily get confused with '1.6 Technical Specification' and so we call it 'Design Criteria'. This falls under two mark scheme bands, both 1.3 & 1.5. To quote OCR this section (1.3 & 1.5) should show:
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'A range of comprehensive requirements are identified that offer scope to support the design process
Requirements that the investigations reveal are added to the candidates master list of requirements, with explanation'
https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/531798-internal-marking-guidance.pdf
What is Design Criteria?
This is a list of specific criteria (or goals) that a product must meet in order to be successful. You will be testing and evaluating your final design and prototype against these. They must also be specific and measurable if possible.
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Often the list considers aspects within each of these categories:
User / Target Market | Functionality | Materials | Aesthetics | Cost (value) | Ergonomics
Environment (literal) | Sustainability | Reliability | Health and safety considerations | Size / Weight
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How can we define these?
First and foremost you will want to list out the PUN (primary user needs). Your user will have given you some specific requirements and these should be listed as a starting point.
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After you have considered the needs of your primary user you can look at your other research and the categories to start defining other criteria that are essential. The table below is a useful example of how you can document your criteria to prove where it has come from. All your criteria should be justified.
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NOTE: You will add to these and refine them to be more specific as we go along. eg initially you might say the main material needs to be water resistant and durable but as you continue you may define an actual material.
Exemplars
Checklist & Markscheme
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Do you have a list of requirements that your product must fulfil? Including technical and performance requirements
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Does your Design Criteria evolve throughout your NEA?
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Do you justify why you have defined the above points? What research does it link to?
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Do you state which ones are based on stakeholder / primary user needs?